Tracey Glover Honored with Tufts Distinction Award for Her Work in the MCM Program

Glover’s dedicated support to the students and faculty of the Conservation Medicine program earns her the traditional annual award
Tracey Glover and her two children standing outside on a sunny day.
Tracey Glover stands in front of release cages at the Wildlife Clinic with her daughters, Fiona and Madeline. Photo: Jeff Poole, Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine

The Tufts Distinction Awards annually recognize staff and faculty across the university who stand out for their contributions to the Tufts community. Among the 2025 recipients is Tracey Glover (she/her), senior program coordinator in the Master of Science in Conservation Medicine (MCM) program at Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University.

"I am honored that I was even nominated; to hear that I was selected was amazing and very special," says Glover. "Honestly, this is the best job. I work with the best people—people who are really making a difference in the world."

Members of the Tufts community may nominate a candidate who exemplifies professionalism, teamwork, and service in their work at Tufts outside of teaching and research. The Selection Committee, consisting of faculty and staff from across Tufts' schools, determines the winners based on candidates' qualities of leadership, innovativeness, integrity, inclusiveness, collaboration, and customer service skills. This annual Tufts tradition started in 2008. 

Glover has played an integral role in the MCM program for the last 13 years, joining the team just one year after the graduate program's inception. She oversees all program logistics and streamlines processes for MCM students and faculty, including MCM Program Director Chris Whittier, V97, and Assistant Program Director Alison Robbins, V92, AG89, associate teaching professor and assistant teaching professor, respectively, in the Department of Infectious Disease and Global Health (IDGH).

"Tracey is a lot more than her title implies; she's really the heart and soul behind the MCM program and the engine that keeps everything running," says Whittier. "In addition to all the support, coordination, and logistics for both faculty and students, she is the proverbial glue that holds it all together." 

As the point person for MCM students, Glover describes herself as the "home base" of the program, starting from the admissions cycle through graduation. Every summer, she organizes a private Facebook group for the incoming cohort to connect before orientation in August and help sort logistics, such as finding carpools and roommates.

"The students are so passionate, and that's what makes it exciting, especially seeing the progression from the first day jitters to the knowledge and confidence they gain throughout the year," says Glover. "I love helping and supporting others. Being in their stratosphere to support their passion is rewarding."

Throughout the academic year, Glover is a consistent resource for students with any administrative needs, from registering for classes to organizing their end-of-program case study presentations. Students often drop by for help or to say hello. Cohorts send her heartfelt cards at the end of the one-year program to thank her for all she has done.

"It's so touching, especially being staff not in the classroom with them every day, to know I've made their time here more seamless," says Glover. "That's my goal, to help navigate students through various Tufts platforms and resources, so that they can focus on coursework and their studies. I love puzzles, and Tufts is a big one with a bunch of pieces. Anything I can do to help Chris, Alison, and the students save time is what I get excited about. I want to make it easier for them to be here."

The incoming class will be the 15th MCM cohort, and MCM alums now number over 200. "I'm excited to see what the future holds in the next 15 years, seeing our amazing alumni doing wonderful things towards One Health," says Glover.

After earning her BS in marketing from West Virginia University, Glover initially worked as an education coordinator for an international beauty distributor and later as a marketing and events coordinator in the Hudson Valley, where she was raised. She worked for one year at Tufts University School of Dental Medicine in the Continuing Education Department before coming on as a staff assistant for the MCM program.

She describes the MCM team as a family and feels just as supported by her colleagues as they do by her. "I love everything that Tufts stands for, the program stands for, the community, and the people that I work with," she says.

Glover has twin 11-year-old daughters and spends much of her free time watching their soccer games, a sport she also played growing up. They have two Chiweenies (Chihuahua-Dachshund mixes) at home.

At the annual Tufts Distinction Awards Ceremony hosted by Tufts University President Sunil Kumar on June 17, Glover was honored along with 12 other recipients from across the university. Glover's MCM colleagues attended the ceremony to celebrate her accomplishments.